Tiny Turbines on Pipelines, Canals May Be Large Hydropower Source

Small hydroelectric companies want to see tiny turbines on water pipelines, ditches, and irrigation canals, something they said could happen if Congress passes a bill lifting some federal licensing requirements for conduit hydropower.

Any hydropower turbine with a capacity of 5 megawatts or greater installed on a water conduit must be licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, but smaller turbines are exempt from licenses.

The bill (H.R. 2786) would lift that 5-megawatt exemption cap and shorten a federal review process, allowing larger conduit hydropower generators to be built without a license. The bipartisan bill passed 420-2 ...